Operating means for elevator gates



pt. 10. 19 0- H. RICHARDSON I OPERATING MEANS FOR ELEVATOR GATES Filed NOV. 27, 1 939 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

fiLRichardwn ATTORNEYS.

pt. 10. 1940. H. 1.. RICHARDSON 2,214,309

OPERATING MEANS FOR ELEVATOR GATES Kl; 1 BY Q AITTORNEYS;

Sept. 10, 1940.

OPERATING MEANS FOR ELEVATOR GATES Filed Nov. 27, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 g l I I I l I I I l I l I l I I I I I I |-I l 4 6 Z5 37 26 fllLRz'ckawdZyaw 4 .9 INVENTOR.

BY M,

ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 10, 1940 EEATEES 2 Claims.

This invention relates to means for automatically opening and closing the gates of elevators and is designed primarily for use in connection with freight elevators.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide mechanism whereby, as the elevator travels in one direction, the gates on the different floors will be opened successively as theelevator reaches those floors, each gate being closed automatically as the elevator moves in either direction away from the opening.

A further object is to provide mechanism of this character which is of simple construction and can be installed readily in connection with different types of freight elevators.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of an elevator gate and a por-- tion of a cage, both equipped with the present improvements.

Figure 2 is a similar view on an enlarged scale, parts being broken away.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section through the cage and showing the open gate and its casing in elevation.

Figure 4 is a section on line i-5, Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on line 55, Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a section on line S-S, Figure 2.

Figure '7 is a section on line '.--'E, Figure 2.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, S designates an elevator shaft the wall of which is provided with door openings at the different floor levels and in this shaft is mounted a cage or car C which can be of any suitable construction and operated by any desired mechanism. In the drawings one of the floor levels has been indicated at F and at this floor level a gate opening is located in the wall of the shaft S. The jambs at each gate opening are hollow and have been indicated at I and 2, these jambs being provided with guide ribs 3 whereby a gate 4 of any suitable construction can slide upwardly or downwardly within the opening to open or close the same. That side of the jamb 2 facing the shaft S has a longitudinal slot and mounted to slide freely in both jambs are counterbalancing weights 6 having cables 1 extending upwardly therefrom over guide pulleys 8 adjacent to the top of the gate opening, and thence downwardly to the gate where they are attached, as shown at 9. These Weights provide exact counterbalances for the gate so that the gate can be easily raised or lowered with little effort and will remain in any position to which it might be moved. When the gate is closed the weights are adjacent to the top of the door opening and when the gate is open these counterbalancing weights are adjacent to the bottom of the door opening.

One of the weights 6, namely, the one mounted to reciprocate within the jamb 2, has a keeper Ill secured thereto and projecting through the slot 5 in the jambv This keeper includes a central angular recess H the upper and lower walls of which are at right angles to the direction of travel of the weight as shown at E2 and I3 and. those portions of the keeper between recess II and the upper and lower ends of the keeper are provided with deflecting faces l4 and I5 which extend from the ends of the walls l2 and I3 respectively and diverge toward the upper and lower ends respectively of the keeper.

Secured to the slotted side of jamb 2 is a tripping cam it having upper and lower inclined faces which come together at a transverse ridge or peak as shown particularly in Figure 2 and this cam, which is stationary, is so located that when the keeper iii and the Weight 6 to which it is joined are in their lowermost positions, the upper inclined surface of cam it will extend across the lower portion of the recess H.

Another tripping cam l? is fixedly secured to the jamb 2 and is also provided with upper and lower inclined faces converging to a peak or apex as shown in Figure 1. This upper stationary cam, which is alined with the tripping cam I5, is so located that when the gate i is in lowered or closed position and the weights 6 are in their uppermost positions, the keeper l0 carried by one of the weights will be positioned with its wall l2 lapped by cam I? as shown by dotted lines in Figure l and its lower wall is disposed below the cam l1.

Another keeper, is, similar to the cam It, is secured to the gate 4 preferably at that side thereof nearest the jamb i and this keeper, which is shown in raised position in the drawings, has an angular recess l9 similar to recess H, the upper and lower walls 20 and 2! of the recess being perpendicular to the gate and there being upper and lower deflectors 22 diverging toward the upper and lower ends respectively of the keeper.

A tripping cam 23 is secured to the jamb I so as to be held against movement and this cam is so located that when the gate 4 is closed, the keeper I8 will be located at one side thereof with the upper deflector 22 of the keeper extending across the lower portion of recess I9 in the keeper.

In other words when the: gate is closed, the keeper I8 thereon will bear the same relation to cam 23 as is borne by keeper II] to its cam I6 when said keeper I0 is in its lower position, as shown in Figure 2.

Another tripping cam 24 is fixedly connected to the jamb I above and in alinement with the cam 23 and this latter cam 24 is so located that when the gate is in full open position, the keeper I6 will be at one side thereof with the lower defleeting face of the cam 24 lapping the upper portion of recess I9 as shown in Figure 2.

The elevator car or cage C is provided with a post or other suitable support 25 extending upwardly at one side thereof and adjustably mounted on this post is a yoke 26 held in any suitable position by means of a set screw 21 or other suitable means. This yoke has a bracket 28 attached thereto and the bracket is formed with a depending ear 29 and with an upwardly extending apertured guide 36. A lever 3| is pivotally connected at its lower end to ear 29 as shown at 32 and the upper portion of this lever carries a pin 33 on which is mounted a bolt 34 which is slidable in the guide 30 and has a projecting arm 35 extended toward the jamb I. A wheel 36 is mounted to rotate freely on pin 33 and is positioned where it can move into and out of engagement with the respective tripping cams 23 and 24.

Another post 31 is carried by the car or cage C at that side thereof adjacent to the jamb 2 and on this post is mounted another yoke 38 similar to yoke 21 and adjustably held thereto in any suitable manner, as by means of a set screw 39. A bracket 40 is secured to the yoke 38 and has a depending ear 4| and an upwardly extending guide ear 42. A lever 43 is pivotally connected toear M by means of a pin 44 and this lever extends upwardly and carries a pin 45 on which is pivotally mounted a bolt 46 which is slidable within the guide ear 42. This bolt has a projecting arm 41 extended toward the jamb 2 and a wheel 48 is mounted on the pin 45 and is so located as to move successively into contact with the cams I6 and I1 during the movement of the cage within the shaft S.

Bolt 34 is so located that when the top portion of the cage approaches the floor level F while the cage is ascending, lever 3| and. the parts carried thereby will swing by gravity toward jamb I so that arm 35 will move into the recess I9 in bracket I8 on the gate 4. Thus as the cage continues to move upwardly, this arm 35 will thrust upwardly against the upper wall 20 of recess I9 in bracket I8 and cause the counterbalance gate to move upwardly to open position. As the gate reaches its open position the wheel 36 comes into contact with the lower face of tripping cam 24 and is thrust back toward the post 25, thereby shifting lever 3I and bolt 34 toward the post with the result that arm 35 is withdrawn from recess I9. Thus the gate is uncoupled from the cage. It will remain in position, however, because it is completely counterbalanced provided, of course, that the cage comes to a stop when it reaches the floor level where the gate is open. This movement of the gate to open position has resulted obviously in the downward movement of the weights 6 and,'therefore, the bracket I0 carried by one of these weights will be brought in position to receive arm 41 of bolt 46. While the parts are moving into this position, the wheel 48,'ascending with the car C, travels upwardly over the cam I6 to the position shown in Figure 2 and the lower deflecting surface I of the keeper I0 comes against and pushes backwardly on arm 41 until the arm arrives opposite recess II whereupon it moves into the recess to the position shown in Figure 2. Thus when the gate is open the parts at the two sides of the gate opening are positioned as shown in Figure 2, the gate-lifting arm 35 being retracted from engagement with its keeper while the arm 41 of lever 46 is projected into engagement with its keeper I9.

'When the cage is again started upwardly the wheel 36 moves over cam 24 so that arm 35 cannot enter recess I9. Therefore this upward movement of the cage will not result in further upward movement of the gate. However the arm 41 of lever 46 is not withdrawn from the recess II in its keeper I0. Consequently the upward movement of the cage or car C results in arm 41 thrusting upwardly against wall I2 of keeper I0 with the result that the weight 6 carrying said keeper is moved upwardly and as the gate thus overbalances the weight, it will move to closed position by gravity. As the gate reaches its closed position the wheel 48 comes into contact with and moves onto the upper shifting cam IT with the result that arm 41 is withdrawn from recess II and the cage can then proceed upwardly without producing any further operations and until the next floor level is reached whereupon the foregoing operation is repeated.

When the cage is moved downwardly the arm 4'! of lever 46 which is located adjacent to the bottom of the cage drops into the recess II in the raised bracket I0 after said wheel 48 has passed downwardly over tripping cam I'l. Thus arm I! will pull downwardly on wall I3 of the recess and cause the weight 6 to which the keeper I8 is attached to move downwardly with the cage. This downward movement will result in the upward movement of the gate and as the gate reaches the upper limit of its movement the wheel 48 rides on the upper inclined surface of the cam I6 and shifts arm 47 out of recess II, thereby uncoupling the cage from the weight 6. At the same time arm 35 on bolt 34 is brought to position opposite recess I9 in keeper I8 with its wheel 36 resting on the peak of the cam 24. The parts will thus remain with the balance door open and the cage standing at the floor level. As the cage moves downwardly from this level the wheel 36 will move off of cam 24 so that arm 35 of bolt 34 will be free to swing into recess I9 and thrust downwardly on the wall 2| of said recess. Consequently the gate will be pulled downwardly to closed position and when it reaches that position the wheel 36 will ride onto cam 23 and Withdraw arm 35 from recess l9. While the gate is thus being lowered to closed position the weight 6 is being moved upwardly, thereby restoring keeper Ill to its initial or raised position, said keeper passing the arm 41 freely because it has been retracted by the movement of wheel 48 downwardly over cam I6 as the cage descends from the floor level.

Obviously the mechanism herein described provides a very simple but efiicient means for automatically opening and closing the gate at each floor level as the cage approaches and leaves said level respectively, and as the gate is counterbalanced at all times, while at rest, the danger of injury is greatly reduced.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a gate mounted for up and down sliding movement, and a counterbalancing weight connected to and movable oppositely to the gate, of a cage mounted for up and down movement, separate recessed keepers movable with the gate and weight respectively and having deflecting faces leading to the recesses, separate slidable bolts positioned on the cage and adjustable vertically relative to each other and to the cage for movement into the recesses in the respective keepers successively during the movement of the cage in either direction, thereby to successively couple the cage to the gate and to the weight, and cooperating fixed and movable means adjacent to the paths of the keepers for retracting the bolts to release the gate and the weight from the cage in succession, said means comprising fixed tripping cams, a lever pivotally connected to the cage and engaging the bolt, and a wheel on the lever for engagement by the cam.

2. The combination with a gate mounted for up and. down sliding movement, and a counterbalancing weight connected to and movable oppositely to the gate, of a cage mounted for up and down movement, separate vertically adjustable members connected to the cage, bolts movably mounted on the respective members and normally projected toward the paths of the gate and Weight respectively, a keeper on the gate positioned for engagement by one of the bolts during the movement of the cage in one direction thereby to shift the gate from one extreme position to another and to move the weight in the opposite direction, a fixed cam, a pivoted bolt-actuating lever carried by each of said memhere, a wheel on each bolt, one wheel being positioned for engaging the camto release its bolt from the engaged keeper upon reaching a limit of movement of the gate, a keeper on the weight positioned for engagement by the other bolt when the gate reaches said last mentioned limit of movement during the travel of the cage thereby to move the weight to one limit of its movement and reverse the movement of the gate, a second fixedv cam, the wheel of the last named bolt being positioned for engagement with said second cam to release the bolt from the keeper on the weight when the weight is brought by the bolt to a limit of its movement.

HENRY L. RICHARDSON. 

